Albanian swaps rare, 800 kg turtle for Mercedes
An Albanian net fisherman has enraged biologists by swapping an endangered leatherback turtle weighing 806 kilos for a used Mercedes from an Italian fish trader.
Hysni Xhemali told the Metropol newspaper he was out fishing in Albania's Ionian Sea waters, as he had done for the past 10 years, when he saw "a big black thing in the net".
Five of his friends came to his help to drag the turtle close to shore, but in the end they needed a mechanical excavator to beach it.
Xhemali said he was immediately approached by an Italian fish trader but refused to deal. He reconsidered when offered a "nearly new" Mercedes and the turtle was reportedly shipped to a zoo in Rome.
Ref. https://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L25377772.htm
Since when did bartering become such a horrible thing? Something only has value if the other person wants it. Supply and demand works all over the world in all economies. The value of the turtle was worth as much as the mercedes so the trade was made. Not everyone in the world is going to care so much about endangered species and cannot be held to that standard either. But I think he should have held out for a new one!
Well, I can see why the Albanians are mad. Suppose your neighbor found a discovery like this that would bring fame and fortune to your country, but instead you chose to sell it the Canadians or Cubans for a used car so that they get all the glory instead? Now people from your country have to pay and travel to see something that would have been free to them.